{"id":8677289,"date":"2022-12-02T17:15:09","date_gmt":"2022-12-03T01:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8677289"},"modified":"2022-12-02T17:11:55","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T01:11:55","slug":"around-east-county-beloved-show-humbug-returning-after-three-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/12\/02\/around-east-county-beloved-show-humbug-returning-after-three-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Around East County: Beloved show &#8216;Humbug!&#8217; returning after three years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s one of the most iconic and beloved Christmas stories of all time, with a message that resonates today more than ever. Local thespian Frank Ballesteros has spent years bringing Ebenezer Scrooge\u2019s character to life in his production of &#8220;Humbug!&#8221; Finally, after three years, he can return to the stage in a nine-day run with his Madd Hatter Players.<\/p>\n<p><aside class=\"related left\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"8671718,8665910,8652673\" data-relation-type=\"curated\">Related Articles<\/h2><ul><li>\n\n<div class=\"entry-section\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/local-news\/\">Local News | <\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/11\/26\/around-east-county-oakleys-annual-christmas-tree-lighting-set-for-dec-3\/\" title=\"Around East County: Oakley&#8217;s annual Christmas tree lighting set for Dec. 3\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tAround East County: Oakley&#8217;s annual Christmas tree lighting set for Dec. 3\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\n<div class=\"entry-section\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/local-news\/\">Local News | <\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/11\/20\/around-east-county-cannery-lady-honors-women-workers-of-yesteryear\/\" title=\"Around East County: &#8216;Cannery Lady&#8217; honors women workers of yesteryear\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tAround East County: &#8216;Cannery Lady&#8217; honors women workers of yesteryear\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\n<div class=\"entry-section\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/local-news\/\">Local News | <\/a><\/div>\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/11\/12\/around-east-county-middle-schoolers-check-out-college-life-at-st-marys\/\" title=\"Around East County: Middle schoolers check out college life at St. Mary&#8217;s\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tAround East County: Middle schoolers check out college life at St. Mary&#8217;s\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n<\/li><\/ul><\/aside>&#8220;\u2009&#8217;Humbug!&#8217; is the familiar story of Charles Dickens\u2019s &#8216;A Christmas Carol,&#8217;\u2009&#8221; Ballesteros said. \u201cMost of the production is the same as Dickens told the story, with the three ghosts like in the movies, with just a couple of modifications.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ballesteros and his theater troupe began performing &#8220;Humbug!&#8221; for audiences throughout the Bay Area in 1976. The company decided to bring the production home to East Contra Costa County several years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The production was doing well in East County, with little variation until 2019, when Ballesteros had to make a few adjustments to the program due to knee and hip surgery just a few weeks before the show. Stating the mantra \u201cthe show must go on,\u201d the troupe arranged for Ballesteros to have a specially decorated walker to use while playing the role of Scrooge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did some research and found the English invented the walker in the 1800s,\u201d he said. This turned out to be perfect since Dickens wrote &#8216;A Christmas Carol&#8217; in 1843.<\/p>\n<p>During COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Ballesteros experienced more health problems when he simultaneously had COVID and sepsis, causing him to go into a convalescent hospital for nine months. Today Ballesteros finds walking challenging, and doing a nine-day show may prove difficult. He decided he would need to use his electric scooter during the production.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re already working on decorating the scooter to make it fit in with the production,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though I\u2019m handicapped, I will be performing at my best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Audiences will witness visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and follow Scrooge on his journey of Christmas transformation thanks to the help of local real estate developer Sean McCauley. McCauley was instrumental in helping Ballesteros and Jim Lanter, a longtime friend and producer of the show, find a place to host the theatrical performance of &#8220;Humbug!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSean provided the old Elite Dance Studio on G Street,\u201d Lanter said. \u201cWe were able to construct the property into a theater. With the props and everything set up, it looks great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Humbug!&#8221; performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16-17 and Dec. 19-22, at 2 p.m. Dec. 17-18 and at 1 p.m. Dec. 24. The production will take place at 314 G St. in Antioch. Tickets, which will only be sold at the door, are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages 7 to 12. For more information, email <a href=\"mailto:jim@jimlanter.com\">jim@jimlanter.com<\/a> or call 925-584-9265.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special performance:<\/strong> Black Diamond Ballet is celebrating its 10th annual production of &#8220;The Nutcracker&#8221; with weekend performances Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 16-18 at El Campanil Theatre. This year the ballet will offer a special sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Dec. 17.<\/p>\n<p>This special one-hour show is designed especially for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities or other disabilities. To provide a supportive and welcoming environment for individuals and families, sensory-friendly performances include house lights at a low level during the show, a reduction of loud sounds and flashing or jarring lights, and a quiet area designated in the lobby.<\/p>\n<p>A tour before the show of the theater space at 3 p.m. Dec. 16 can be arranged by contacting the box office. The ticket price for all seats during this performance is $25. For showtimes, ticket prices for other performances or more information about Black Diamond Ballet, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/blackdiamondballet.org\">blackdiamondballet.org<\/a> online.<\/p>\n<p><em>Roni Gehlke can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:oakleynow@comcast.net\">oakleynow@comcast.net<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frank Ballesteros, who plays Scrooge in the &#8220;Christmas Carol&#8221; adaptation, was in the hospital for nine months during the pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":844,"featured_media":8678624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"subheadline":"Ballesteros, who plays Scrooge in 'Christmas Carol' adaptation, was in hospital for nine months during pandemic","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[160,187,10349,161,807,51712],"tags":[479,51140,51258,51364,11204,400,317],"feature":[],"location":[36,3,37,38,39,40,2,31,44,4,33,48,52,55],"type-of-work":[50053],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"10349","primary_tag":479,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"Around East County","print_title":"Beloved holiday show 'Humbug!' returning after three years","print_subheadline":"Ballesteros, who plays Scrooge in 'Christmas Carol' adaptation, was in hospital for nine months during pandemic","print_priority":"","print_placement":"inside","print_edition_date":"","print_pub_date":"","print_slug":"BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209","print_content":"<p>It\u2019s one of the most iconic and beloved Christmas stories of all time, with a message that resonates today more than ever. Local thespian Frank Ballesteros has spent years bringing Ebenezer Scrooge\u2019s character to life in his production of \"Humbug!\" Finally, after three years, he can return to the stage in a nine-day run with his Madd Hatter Players.<\/p>\n<p>\"\u2009'Humbug!' is the familiar story of Charles Dickens\u2019s 'A Christmas Carol,'\u2009\" Ballesteros said. \u201cMost of the production is the same as Dickens told the story, with the three ghosts like in the movies, with just a couple of modifications.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ballesteros and his theater troupe began performing \"Humbug!\" for audiences throughout the Bay Area in 1976. The company decided to bring the production home to East Contra Costa County several years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The production was doing well in East County, with little variation until 2019, when Ballesteros had to make a few adjustments to the program due to knee and hip surgery just a few weeks before the show. Stating the mantra \u201cthe show must go on,\u201d the troupe arranged for Ballesteros to have a specially decorated walker to use while playing the role of Scrooge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did some research and found the English invented the walker in the 1800s,\u201d he said. This turned out to be perfect since Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol' in 1843.<\/p>\n<p>During COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Ballesteros experienced more health problems when he simultaneously had COVID and sepsis, causing him to go into a convalescent hospital for nine months. Today Ballesteros finds walking challenging, and doing a nine-day show may prove difficult. He decided he would need to use his electric scooter during the production.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re already working on decorating the scooter to make it fit in with the production,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though I\u2019m handicapped, I will be performing at my best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Audiences will witness visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and follow Scrooge on his journey of Christmas transformation thanks to the help of local real estate developer Sean McCauley. McCauley was instrumental in helping Ballesteros and Jim Lanter, a longtime friend and producer of the show, find a place to host the theatrical performance of \"Humbug!\"<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSean provided the old Elite Dance Studio on G Street,\u201d Lanter said. \u201cWe were able to construct the property into a theater. With the props and everything set up, it looks great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\"Humbug!\" performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16-17 and Dec. 19-22, at 2 p.m. Dec. 17-18 and at 1 p.m. Dec. 24. The production will take place at 314 G St. in Antioch. Tickets, which will only be sold at the door, are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages 7 to 12. For more information, email <a href=\"mailto:jim@jimlanter.com\">jim@jimlanter.com<\/a> or call 925-584-9265.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special performance:<\/strong> Black Diamond Ballet is celebrating its 10th annual production of \"The Nutcracker\" with weekend performances Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 16-18 at El Campanil Theatre. This year the ballet will offer a special sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Dec. 17.<\/p>\n<p>This special one-hour show is designed especially for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities or other disabilities. To provide a supportive and welcoming environment for individuals and families, sensory-friendly performances include house lights at a low level during the show, a reduction of loud sounds and flashing or jarring lights, and a quiet area designated in the lobby.<\/p>\n<p>A tour before the show of the theater space at 3 p.m. Dec. 16 can be arranged by contacting the box office. The ticket price for all seats during this performance is $25. For showtimes, ticket prices for other performances or more information about Black Diamond Ballet, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/blackdiamondballet.org\">blackdiamondballet.org<\/a> online.<\/p>\n<p><em>Roni Gehlke can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:oakleynow@comcast.net\">oakleynow@comcast.net<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"Frank Ballesteros, who plays Scrooge in the \"Christmas Carol\" adaptation, was in the hospital for nine months during the pandemic.","print_notes":"","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":""},"print_workflow_exported_ts":"1670029003","print_workflow_exported_username":"njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com","print_workflow_shapes":"","print_workflow_side":{"print_section":9677,"print_status":9425,"add_export_buttons":""},"really_short_title":"","short_title":"","market_neutral_title":"","social_title":"","dfm_hub_post_id":0,"paywall_level":"metered","featured_media_content":{"content_type":"image","content":{"id":8678624,"title":"","filename":"BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/a-christmas-carol-4\/","alt":"","author":"927","description":"","caption":"Dan Rosenstrauch \u2014 BANG archives\nFrank Ballesteros and Brenda Aragon rehearse the play \"Humbug!\" at the Antioch Historical Museum during an earlier production of the \u201cChristmas Carol\u201d adaptation. Ballesteros, who played Ebenezer Scrooge in the play for years, will return to the role this month for the first time since 2019.","name":"a-christmas-carol-4","status":"inherit","uploadedTo":0,"date":1670029753000,"modified":1670029808000,"menuOrder":0,"mime":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","dateFormatted":"December 2, 2022","nonces":{"update":false,"delete":false,"edit":false},"editLink":false,"meta":false,"authorName":"dfm-photoupload","authorLink":"","filesizeInBytes":8466368,"filesizeHumanReadable":"8 MB","context":"","height":3483,"width":5778,"orientation":"landscape","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"height":"150","width":"150","url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","orientation":"landscape"},"medium":{"height":181,"width":300,"url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=300","orientation":"landscape"},"large":{"height":617,"width":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=1024","orientation":"landscape"},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg","height":3483,"width":5778,"orientation":"landscape"}},"credit":"Dan Rosenstrauch \u2014 BANG archives","custom_caption":"Frank Ballesteros and Brenda Aragon rehearse the play \"Humbug!\" at the Antioch Historical Museum during an earlier production of the \u201cChristmas Carol\u201d adaptation. Ballesteros, who played Ebenezer Scrooge in the play for years, will return to the role this month for the first time since 2019."},"data":[{"id":8678624,"title":"","filename":"BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/a-christmas-carol-4\/","alt":"","author":"927","description":"","caption":"Dan Rosenstrauch \u2014 BANG archives\nFrank Ballesteros and Brenda Aragon rehearse the play \"Humbug!\" at the Antioch Historical Museum during an earlier production of the \u201cChristmas Carol\u201d adaptation. 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Ballesteros, who played Ebenezer Scrooge in the play for years, will return to the role this month for the first time since 2019."}],"rendered_content":"<img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail lazyload\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"false\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=5778 5778w,https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=640 640w,https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=800 800w,https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=1040 1040w,https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BRN-L-AROUNDEC-COL-1209-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" 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